•Bioko Treats, based in Osu, Accra, focuses on chocolate and cashew production and related products, including chocolate-coated cashews for export. The company holds HACCP certification and complies with all necessary regulations.

•Currently, the coating machine has low capacity, processing only 6 kg of coated cashews in 24 hours, but the company aims to increase this to 40 kg daily.

•To enhance equipment efficiency and lower its carbon footprint, Bioko plans to expand its use of solar energy and adopt lean manufacturing practices. The company also promotes equal opportunities for women and men, as well as for persons with disabilities (PWDs).

•Flexy Foods Ltd, located in Amrahia, Accra, is a cocoa and cashew processing company focused on chocolate production and related items. They are developing a chocolate-coated cashew product to meet high export demand and have obtained FDA certification along with all necessary permits.

•The company produces value-added products, including roasted cashew snacks (100kg monthly), cashew vegan and milk chocolates (100kg monthly), and coated cashews (20kg monthly).

•However, there is a notable demand gap, with monthly orders for 1500kg of roasted cashew snacks, 300kg of cashew chocolates, and 150kg of coated cashews.

•Founded in 2009, Gensap Ventures processes raw cashew nuts into kernels and butter, with an annual capacity of 120 metric tons out of 1,300. The company employs 16 people and collaborates with 1,000 outgrowers. Currently, 95% of its processed cashews are sold locally. Gensap holds FDA certification and is pursuing EPA certification.

•Smaller secondary processors source kernels from Gensap for roasting and additional processing, highlighting the company’s vital role in supporting their development.

•Homefoods focuses on enhancing palm oil by converting it into products like canned soups and paste, mainly exporting to Europe and the US while maintaining high food safety standards. The company is pursuing ISO 22,000 certification, a step up from its current HACCP certificate.

•Homefoods has sought support to acquire storage tanks for palm oil to improve sourcing from artisanal millers during peak seasons, addressing supply inconsistencies that affect exports. Additionally, they have applied for a grant to train smallholder processors in producing high-quality oil with better extraction rates.

•By acting as a market for artisanal millers, Homefoods’ training initiatives will enhance its operations and boost the skills of rural women millers.

•Kaskazini Limited, founded in February 2017, focuses on manufacturing Crude Palm Kernel Oil (CPKO) for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors in Ghana and West Africa, particularly Nigeria.

•The company faces a significant challenge in not being able to refine its CPKO, which limits profit potential compared to the more lucrative refined PKO market, primarily used in edible products.

•To address this, Kaskazini Limited plans to use grant funding alongside its resources to purchase and install refined PKO equipment with a capacity of 10mt per day. The grant will also support staff training and product development, potentially creating 27 new jobs in the Bekwai community of the Ashanti Region.

•N.H. Natural Foods Supplies Ltd (Nimdee Hyeren Foods Limited) is a cashew processing enterprise that was established in 2019.  It produces both cashew kernels and roasted cashew for the local Ghanaian market.

•Its current processing capacity is 800mt per year, and major buyers are Niche Confectionery Ghana, Flexy Foods, Forward Thinkers, Rosswood, and Simtina Ventures for the cashew kernel while the roasted cashew are sold to restaurants, hotels and supermarkets. The company employs forty-eight workers, mostly women.

•Norpalm Ghana Limited operates in oil palm production and processing, managing a 4,500-hectare plantation and a 25tph mill in Prestea, Mpohor District.

•The company faces challenges due to inefficiencies in its milling process, relying on a single Steam Boiler from 2014 for steam energy. This poses a risk of production disruption for up to a year if the boiler experiences a serious incident.

•To improve processing efficiency and increase capacity from 25tph to 30tph, Norpalm is upgrading its mill by acquiring a new boiler and replacing outdated components, which will also reduce effluents and enhance environmental outcomes.

•Rosswood Company Limited, founded in 2015, specializes in roasted cashews and cashew spread, with an annual production capacity of 168mt—33.6mt for export and 134.4mt for local markets. The company employs 25 staff (21 women and 4 men) and sources raw materials from farmers in Ghana’s Bono region, working with aggregators in Wenchi, Sampa, and Nsawkaw.

•Its clients include Melcom, Shoprite, and Migmart, with exports to Europe and direct sales to Kenya via the Africa Continental Free Trade Area. Rosswood has partnered with USAID through GTI to implement a digital traceability system and has achieved HACCP certification.

•Established in 2003, SPB specializes in the secondary processing of cashews, converting cashew kernels into various value-added products. The company has an annual capacity of 192 metric tons of Raw Cashew Nuts (RCN).

•Its main product, SPB Cashew Chewees, is available in major supermarkets in Ghana, such as Shoprite and Farmers Market, and is sourced from farmers in the Bono and Bono East Regions.

•SPB provides equal opportunities for both males and females.